Apple's new patent hints at a smart ring with health tracking and Vision Pro controls

As the smart ring space becomes more competitive, Apple is giving wearable technology a chance. We’ve got insights into how the brand’s version of the wearable tech could look and work. 

On Tuesday, the company secured a patent for a smart ring device of its own that includes further information on the product’s device compatibility and health-tracking capabilities. According to the filing, the smart ring could monitor health data, which wouldn’t be an uncommon use case for a device like this. 

Also: The best smart rings you can buy

Specifically, the filing reveals that the ring could include sensors for heart rate and blood oxygen, two commonly used health-tracking components. Other smart ring brands, like Samsung, Oura, and Ultrahuman, monitor information like body temperature, heart rate and heart rate variability, blood oxygen levels, sleep, and more, to provide insights into your activity and energy levels. 

However, the filing also included one uncommon use case: the ability to control other Apple devices, including but not limited to a headset like the Apple Vision Pro. According to the filing, the wearer could use the smart ring to adjust settings on a speaker, provide touch, gesture, or force input on a display, or adjust haptic output on another Apple device. 

Also: I tested the Samsung Galaxy Ring and it’s smarter than my Apple Watch in one big way

We’ve seen Samsung debut smart ring and device integration similar to what Apple’s patent includes. On the Samsung Galaxy Ring, users can take photos on their phone using a finger-pinching gesture. An earlier patent filing implied that the Apple ring would also include a skin-to-skin contact feature, which mimics that of Samsung’s.

By the looks of the patent filings, it seems that if the smart ring were to be developed, it would have heavy integration with other Apple hardware, specifically the Apple Vision Pro. An earlier patent implied that the ring would function as a sensor for hand detection within the Vision Pro. 

Whether these ideas filed in the patent will come to fruition is an entirely different story. Apple isn’t “actively developing” the device, although some Apple employees are pushing the concept forward, according to a Bloomberg report. 

Also: Apple Vision Pro can be controlled by thoughts now, thanks to BCI integration

Overall, the patent filing confirms that the smart ring space is heating up. Samsung’s recent debut of its first-ever Galaxy Ring saw great popularity, and smart ring mainstay brands, like Oura, are seemingly developing new features and upgrades every week. 

Apple isn’t known for being first in a budding product market like smart rings. Instead, the tech giant usually waits to measure up the competition and debuts a first-gen product of its own without the usual flaws and hiccups of a novel tech product. 

We’ll be keeping an eye on future patent filings to see if Apple dives into the smart ring space. Until then, don’t hold your breath for a smart ring announcement at this September’s Apple event.